Forge of Shadows - Bloodlines
by Kadirika7211
Summary: Set in Old Republic Era. Mandalorian Gladiator Sihna Dreysel has made a name for herself within the arenas and galactic events, but some beginnings are humble and full of shadows. As a child her life was filled with violence and fear, but when she is pushed too far, a choice must be made that will shape her into something more. Rated T for violence/peril. Short Story.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N:_  
 _It has been... ages since I've managed to write anything for FF, so I thoroughly apologize. I am working on the SOS and HOS series, so please don't give up on me!_

 _So while I attempt to continue on with working on Hunter of Shadows and Smuggler of Shadows, I decided to give a glimpse of another character. This is a short story featuring Sihna Dreysel, set in the Old Republic Era. This particular story is set within her childhood, and is meant to give a glimpse into her adult self and the past she carries. At this point she is far more the frightened child, though the events will start to shape her into something far more._

 _As her name suggests, she has ties to characters within the Smuggler of Shadows series. These pieces are being written for an RP (including training skills, etc, so there will be a bit of that contained in, though I try to keep it within the world of the story), but as she's a character I've thoroughly enjoyed, I wanted to share her stories a bit further. The RP is being written on Star Wars Fates, if anyone is interested in looking further or joining in :)  
Who knows, if there's enough interest, I may continue to post bits and pieces of her stories here, or snippets that don't make it into RP, etc :)_

 _ **Disclaimer-** I own nothing Star Wars and make no profit here. Only thing I own is my own characters and their storylines._

* * *

Darkness was falling rapidly, long shadows stretching over the landscape as night rose to stake its claim.

Sihna Dreysel sat huddled against the rear wall of a high metal cage, brown eyes peering out through thick panelling fearfully. It was no great mystery what had her in such a state. A large form paced outside the cage, massive when compared to Sihna, with a brutish build that spoke to the creature's intended purpose.

Aric's akk hounds were not kept as pets, and while Sihna had never had trouble with them in the past, she had no desire to test the limits of their loyalty to her over that of their master. Fear was a powerful motivator - and not just for the hounds. It was the same force that led Sihna to wait huddled in the cage, small fingers woven through the mesh of the gate as she used her body weight to wedge the door shut, though reason told her that such a measure would do little good against the hounds.

Sihna's eyes flitted about the clearing, wide and frightened. She had backed herself into a corner when fleeing Aric's temper, and was now stuck. She had panicked when the shouting had begun, sprinting to find somewhere - anywhere, really - to hide. Far better to have kept running.

Sihna buried her tear-streaked face in her knees with a whimper as Aric's shouts rang out louder, the words slurred but the anger clear enough. It didn't take long until the man himself appeared, his arrival greeted with alertness from the otherwise indifferent hounds.

Aric's tall form paced closer, his steps slowing as he approached the cage. Sihna felt hope rise in her chest as his familiar form became silhouetted in the fast fading light, his features indistinguishable from the shadows around.

He knelt next to the cage and Sihna's breath caught in her throat, a quiet whimper that was a plea for rescue escaping her. Sihna shuffled forward in the cage, fingers cramping from their grip on the wire of the cage, the skin broken and bleeding in some places where she had gripped the wires too tightly. She turned her gaze up to Aric, wide eyes beseeching him for a rescue, a safe path away from the massive hounds.

It didn't matter that it had been Aric whom she'd been fleeing from in the first place. Didn't matter that he gripped a bottle in one hand and a half empty cup in the other, the smell of alcohol sharp and strong in her nose as he leaned in closer. None of it mattered. He was her buir, her rescuer. And so Sihna gazed up at him, terror clear on her young face.

" _Buir_?" she managed finally, the word broken with fear.

Silence stretched between the two and SIhna's panic rose. He could leave her out here. Alone in the dark, with only the two hounds for company. Nothing was more frightening to her in that moment, and Sihna felt fresh tears slip down her cheeks at the thought.

" _G-Gedet'ye, buir_ ," Sihna whimpered.

She saw the white flash of a smile in the dark as his fingers curled around hers, prying them free from the wires of the cage. Sihna whimpered again, still unsure whether he would save her or leave her.

The gate swung open and the largest of the two hounds lunged for the opening. Sihna screamed, covering her head with her arms in a feeble shield, her only defense against the large creature.

She felt the hound's breath, hot on her skin for a terrifying moment before Aric swept her up out of the creature's reach. Sihna clung to Aric, sobbing with fear, her arms clasped tightly about his neck.

He held her a moment, the embrace casual, nearly indifferent but for the tension that slowly built in his posture. Waiting. His decision was not yet made, and the hounds waited obediently at their master's feet.

Sihna could sense Aric's indecision and clung tighter, terrified that he would change his mind, delivering her back to the akk hounds.

" _Ni ceta, buir,_ " Sihna grovelled, terror tainting words that were already thick with tears. " _Ori'vore_."

Despite her fear of the hounds, each word was painstakingly chosen. She was not yet safe. Not until Aric chose. But the grovelling apology mixed with the gratitude for her rescue seemed to placate Aric and he relaxed, his hand coming up to cup the back of her head, stroking her hair as if in reward for her reaction. Sihna shivered, closing her eyes and burying her face in his chest. She could only manage an overwhelming sense of relief that he had not returned her to the jaws of the akk hounds.

Aric strode a few paces away from the hounds before releasing Sihna, depositing her back on her feet despite frightened protests as the hounds stalked forward.

" _Buir_!" Sihna cried out, pulling back from the hounds and clinging to Aric.

"Sihna!" Aric snapped, her name hard and cold as it fell from his mouth. He spun to face her, light falling across his features and highlighting the fury that lurked there. " _Gev_!"

SIhna froze at the order, chest heaving in terror. She knew the consequences for disobedience to that particular command. But as the akk hound paced closer, lips curled back from sharp teeth, the greater of her two fears won out.

Sihna flinched, taking a single step back. It was nothing but a response to utter terror, but it was enough. Aric's expression turned icy, as hard as the rock beneath her feet as he scowled down at her. Sihna felt utter terror settle in the pit of her stomach as he glowered down at her.

"Parjii."

Sihna whimpered as the largest of the two hounds perked up at the sound of his name. Aric's eyes remained locked on hers, unmoved by the silent plea in his daughter's gaze.

" _Oya_ ," the command fell from his mouth like a shot and the hound lunged for Sihna.

Terror and pain became her sole companions in the minutes that followed, fueling her screams for help as Aric stood by.

* * *

Sihna tried to run, adrenaline rushing through her and urging her to flee, but she only made it two steps before the hound was upon her.

Heavy paws dragged her down, claws slashing across the backs of her legs and across the small of her back. Massive jaws clamped around her shoulder and Sihna screamed, desperate sobs as she struggled to turn, begging Aric to intercede.

The hound's growls echoed in her ears, along with the excited yelps of the second hound who was not ordered forward. Parjii's weight pressed down on her shoulders and Sihna struggled against the hound, trying to reach the small knife in her boot. Some part of her knew the tiny blade would do her no good, but to fight against the hound with fists and feet felt woefully inadequate. The beast's clawed paw slashed across her wrist and Sihna cried out, pulling back and abandoning her struggle for the blade, instead focusing on trying to turn to at least face the akk.

Parjii's jaws released for a moment and Sihna struggled to turn, finally managing to spin so she was on her back. She caught a glimpse of Aric standing with arms crossed over his chest, indifferent to his daughter's pleas, before the hound resumed its attack.

Razor teeth tore into her forearms even as Sihna struggled, sobbing, beating tiny fists against the hound's muzzle to no avail. The creature's scaled hide was too thick for her blows to do anything more than tear the skin from her own fists, leaving bloody streaks across the creature's face as she continued to slam them against his snout. His claws ripped across her sides and dug into her shoulders, slashing through cloth and skin as if they were tissue.

It was all Sihna could do to remember to keep her head tucked down, despite every instinct that urged her to use it as a weapon. Far more important to protect her throat, for although she had not heard a kill command from Aric, hounds had been known to go further than their orders in the excitement of the fight.

Sihna could hear herself screaming in mando'a, words broken with pain and terror as she sobbed. Dirt wedged itself deep in the nails of her bloodied hands as she struggled to get away from the hound, trying to pull herself out of its reach but with no success. Claws raked across her body, dragging her back despite a shriek of protest mingled with anguish. The creature's jaws clamped down on SIhna's outstretched hand and the hound shook its head, her hand still gripped in its powerful maw before he released it and began his attack anew.

Sihna managed to turn on her side, curling up as tightly as she could and clasping her arms above her head, trying to make herself as small a target as possible. She had given up trying to reach her knife, fully aware that it would do no good anyway.

The hound scrabbled at her curled up form, trying to break the meager defense as Sihna sobbed. Lines of fiery pain lanced from each strike of his claws, and Sihna's screams turned shrill as the beast's teeth shredded both cloth and skin.

No one was going to help her. The thought settled with certainty in her mind and Sihna whimpered. Aric was her only hope for rescue and he stood by in silence, determined to allow the lesson to run its course. Her hero had discarded her to the fate he had engineered, his abandonment becoming clearer with each passing moment that he remained silent despite the growls of the akk hound and her own pleas for help.

She could feel each blow from the hound, laced with agony, as well as the hot, sticky feeling of blood coating her skin and dripping from her wounds. Each moment felt like an eternity, drawn out before her and played in slow, agonizing detail. She could feel each strike, could smell the hound's breath as it hovered over her, its companion barking excitedly in the background. She could only see the ground right before her eyes, curled as tightly as she was, but even that she could see in detail. Red locks soaked in her own blood were plastered to her cheek, others falling over her shoulders and spilling to the ground. Blood dripped from the strands and soaked into the soil, and Sihna found herself fixated by the sight of it.

She didn't know when she had stopped screaming. Only that her throat was too raw to continue, leaving her to suffer in silence as her voice failed her, dry sobs wracking her body. More blood dripped to the ground and Sihna watched it in horrified fascination as it soaked into the dirt, catching the light for a moment from Aric's lamp before sinking into the soil, staining it black.

"Parjii!" Aric's shout broke through Sihna's state and she flinched. " _Gev_."

The command was spoke softly, calmly even, but the hound responded immediately. Sihna's voice caught on a sob as the hound ceased its attack, its weight lifting from her shoulders as it returned to Aric's side. She heard the shuffle of rock, knew the creature had returned to sit at its master's feet. And yet she didn't dare move, remaining curled in on herself tightly, terrified that any motion might cause the attack to begin anew.

* * *

Silence stretched, broken only by Sihna's shattered gasps and the calm panting of Parjii. Even the second hound had quieted, leaving the air to thicken with anticipation.

When Sihna felt Aric's hand land on her shoulder she cried out hoarsely, a mixture of fear and pain fuelling the pitiful protest. Aric paid it no mind, dragging Sihna to her feet, his hands coming away red with her blood as he released her, leaving her to sway as she struggled to stay standing. She stumbled once, whimpering with pain as her newfound injuries flared in protest. Each hand was clamped to a different wound, seeking to stop the bloodflow to little avail.

" _Gev_ ," Aric tossed the command at her over his shoulder and Sihna froze, too afraid of the consequences to allow herself to fall.

Aric didn't bother to look back, instead striding back to the giant akk and crouching beside the beast. Sihna watched with wide eyes, unable to stop herself trembling. But her feet remained firmly planted where she stood. She would heed the command this time.

Aric looked up at long last, fixing Sihna's bloodied form with his gaze. There was no concern in his expression, no regret. Sihna shivered.

"When I give an order, you obey," Aric's words were soft but clear, the tone as hard and cold as ice. "You come to heel. No matter the command."

Sihna swallowed hard at the words, blood seeping between her fingers as Aric turned his attention back to the akk hound. Sihna was shaking uncontrollably by the time he pulled his pistol, thumbing off the safety in one smooth motion.

" _Gratiir_ ," the command was just as calm as the others, but some instinct made Sihna squeeze her eyes shut.

She heard the sharp crack of the pistol, her eyes flying open to see the akk hound crumple to the ground, dead by Aric's hand. Her blood still coated the creature's snout and claws, shining in a macabre pattern as Sihna stared.

She couldn't breathe. Couldn't have moved even if she wanted to. Even if Aric's command had not still held her rooted to the spot she stood. Even if he had commanded her to move. All she could do was stare at the lifeless body of the akk, understanding dawning on her slowly. Not of the lesson Aric had sought to teach, but another knowledge entirely.

Something heavy and foreign settled in her chest as Aric holstered his pistol casually, rising back to his feet.

"Even an akk hound comes to heel, Sihna," Arik spoke softly. "He'll never hurt you again."

 _But you will_ , Sihna thought, eyes lifting to his face, cold and hard in the dim light. _You always will._

Sihna knew the intent of the whole affair, the meaning behind it. That much was clear, even to her young mind. Aric was trying to prove himself the hero again. The one to rush in and save his daughter, earning her thanks and loyalty, as he had a hundred times before. And would engineer a thousand times again. All the while making sure she understood.

She was the akk.

Meant to obey orders, no matter where they led. Even if it meant pressing her forehead to the muzzle of his blaster and watching him pull the trigger. Obedience. That was his demand. Obedience no matter the cost of it.

Sihna licked her lips, tasting the coppery tang of blood as she lifted brown eyes to meet Aric's gaze. His scowl informed her she had missed something, some command he had no doubt just issued, or the signal for her to express gratitude.

"Sihna…" the word was low in warning, a soft growl, but Sihna was already shaking her head.

It took every ounce of will she had to step back, eyes darting around the clearing as she searched for a glimpse of the second hound. She hadn't seen where it had gone, fading back into the thick shadows of the night that pressed in close to Aric's light.

She looked to her father, her bloodied features set, the red of her hair matted with her own blood as her fingers pressed against still bleeding wounds.

" _Nay_ -" she stopped halfway through the Mandalorian word, tears filling her eyes as she trembled, searching for a scrap of courage for her next act of defiance.

In the end she didn't know where she found the courage. It was dredged from deep within her, pulled from a place she hadn't even known she had in her. When she spoke her voice was soft, trembling with fear, but the word was defiant nonetheless.

"No."

The word was in Basic, and that alone would be enough to cause a storm. And so Sihna didn't wait to see the result of her rebellion. Instead she turned and ran.

She didn't know where, only that she didn't have the courage to face another punishment from Aric. And so she plunged into the woods, Aric's shouts and the baying of the second hound echoing behind her as she fled in terror.

* * *

 _A/N: There will be a few more chapters incoming, so sit back, enjoy, and leave me reviews if you truly want to make my day ;)_

 _Keep an eye out for incoming stories in Smuggler of Shadows, Hunter of Shadows, and quite possibly other stories as well :) K'oyacyi, vod'e!_


	2. Chapter 2

Trees whipped at her face and arms as Sihna ran, Aric's shouts sounding behind her in close pursuit. The baying of the second akk hound wove around her, sometimes close, sometimes distant, and yet always discernible above the sound of her own gasps for breath and her pounding heart.

The forest was both ally and enemy to her as she fled, her chest heaving for breath and her wounds screaming in protest. One moment the dense trees and thick underbrush were her shield, hiding her from Aric's view and offering her cover. The next they became a trap, thick roots twisting about her feet and making the path dangerous, threatening to drag her down and hold her. So she didn't trust it. Didn't rely on either its safety or its duplicity, instead sprinting as fast as her still bloody injuries would allow, fighting to stay ahead of her _buir_. More than once she switched direction at random, no other intent than to move away from Aric's shouts fueling the decision.

Trees bled together, landmarks passing in the corners of her eyes until she could no longer differentiate what was familiar and what was foreign. Soon she saw nothing recognizable, nothing she knew from her many times spent wandering the woods beyond Aric's dwelling. She had spent more hours than she could count avoiding her _buir's_ temper in these very woods until she could have found her way in them blindfolded with little trouble. But this was further than she'd ever been, her flight fueled by fear and pain and dread. There was nowhere safe, nowhere she could point to that she didn't feel as if Aric could appear at any moment.

Soon she was utterly lost. Trees whipped by her in the dark, tall sentries casting shadows over the little girl as she ran, too afraid to stop even when her father's voice and the baying hound had faded into the shadows. She was accompanied only by the gasps wrenched from her chest and the deafening sound of her own heartbeat.

She no longer knew what she was running from, only following the blind panic in her mind that urged her to keep going, whispering that Aric wasn't far behind, his remaining akk at his heels. The thought was terrifying and pushed Sihna to run faster despite her shaking muscles and the injuries that now slowed her considerably. Shock had all but worn off, taking with it the numbness that had allowed her a certain distance from the severity of the wounds. Now she was beginning to feel it in full force.

Tree branches whipped at her face and arms, slicing new cuts and slapping at those Sihna already bore, drawing fresh blood and smearing the old even further across her skin.

Her ankle caught in the root of one of the massive trees and Sihna cried out, slamming into the forest floor, her ankle wrenching in its trap as she struck the ground. Her shoulder slammed down into the earth as Sihna skidded, limbs flailing as she tried to break her fall. All she managed was to slam her weight down on her right wrist, wrenching the muscle and evoking a defeated whimper from her as her tumble halted.

Sihna curled up in the damp leaves of the underbrush, squeezing her eyes shut as she lay still. Her chest heaved with gasps for air and shaking sobs as the sounds of the forest closed around her. There was no sign of Aric or his hound, no whisper on the breeze that hinted of danger. Instead there was only the soft quiet of the woods, layers of small lifeforms joining together in a quiet symphony that washed over the broken little girl as she shook, fear and exhaustion finally settling into her bones and halting the desperate urge to flee.

She didn't know how long she stayed like that, soaking in the sounds of the forest and trembling with the weight of the day's events. She could still feel the warm trickle of blood across her skin when she finally did come back to herself. The smell of damp earth was strong in her nose when she finally pushed herself to her feet, the motions slow and pained as she forced her battered body to obey yet another set of commands. Despite the horror that threatened to send her spiraling into shock or the pain that made her want to curl up and never rise again, Sihna's mind was remarkably clear. Now that she had stopped running, she could finally think again, and in that moment she felt a quiet determination settle into her core.

And so she rose to her feet, limbs trembling as she set off with shuffling steps, her eyes fixed on the ground before her, ears piqued for any sound of an unwelcome approach. No sound of pursuit did not mean she was safe from her _buir_ , and caution ruled her steps.

She didn't keep track of time passing as she searched, her mind fixed on two essential tasks - finding shelter and stopping the bleeding. Both could be resolved by returning, but her disorientation was not the only thing that prevented her from taking that path.

She would not crawl back to him, would not beg for his forgiveness or aid. She would gain neither, and punishments from her _buir_ could be quite creative when he chose. She was under no illusions as to the severity of her situation. Young or no, Sihna's life had not been an easy one, and she knew full well the consequences of failure here. But even that wasn't enough to deter her from her course.

* * *

Her lips were dry and cracking by the time she began to make real headway. Her wanderings were aimless at first, focused more on simply moving than any real plan that had been parceled together in her mind. But as she stumbled yet again, catching herself on the bark of a nearby tree, her bloodied hands left a streak across the moss that adorned the rough surface. Sihna froze for a moment, staring at the macabre display before brown eyes widened in understanding.

Shaking fingers brushed against the slick surface of the moss once more in speculation. Sihna stared up at the bark of the tree before turning slowly, taking in the trees around her. She backtracked slowly, clambering over boulders that she couldn't quite remember if she had seen before, but her thoughts reminded her that it hardly mattered now anyway. Soon the moss hanging from the trees changed, turning drier and brittle to her touch. And so Sihna changed direction once more, this time paying close attention to the vegetation both above her and below.

Soon she began to see what she was looking for. It was subtle at first, so subtle in fact that she nearly missed it. But slowly the vegetation around her changed, moving towards those she recognized as growing next to the bend in the river close to Aric's dwelling. The trees turned lush, the moss hanging from them slick and the undergrowth of the forest thick. Young trees vied for reach, stretching towards the sky in an attempt to surpass their elders to see a glimpse of sunlight during the days.

She began to see small paths crisscrossing through the underbrush, marked by paw prints large and small. Where there had only been the occasional trail before, now they became more and more numerous. Fear seized her for a moment and Sihna paused, kneeling down cautiously and brushing one shaking hand across the tracks. None possessed the distinctive shape of an akk hound's steps, and Sihna felt some of the tightness ease in her chest as she stood, following the trails once more.

All of it spoke of one simple thing, and Sihna's steps quickened. She was close now. So close that layers of exhaustion peeled away, offering her a reserve of energy that she hadn't thought she possessed. Soon she could hear the gentle gurgling of water as it cascaded over rocks, followed by a sharp, clear smell that Sihna recognized.

Sihna broke into a jog, eyes scanning the ground before her. A twisted root caught her glance, the gnarled branch jutting out directly in her path much like the one that had swept her feet out from under her and caused the throbbing in her now sore ankle. This time Sihna sidestepped it carefully, her eyes scanning the ground even closer as she moved forward.

In the end her discovery of the river was less than heroic, as Sihna's steps were too quick for her own good. She ended up misplacing one foot into a slick patch of mud that her eyes hadn't picked out in the darkness. The misstep sent her tumbling down a slick embankment, too startled to even cry out at the surprise. Her landing in the water was less than graceful and Sihna came up gasping, thrashing in the deep water as the current snagged her and dragged her downstream.

Panic threatened to set in, grasping at her with icy talons as Sihna fought the water, struggling to keep her head above the surface as she tried to avoid being smashed upon the rocks. Experience was her ally here, but it wasn't enough to keep her from striking every rock, and she ended up slamming into more than one. But her focus was not on the forming bruises or the sharp pain of her previous injuries as the water rushed over them. Instead it was on trying to work her way against the current, struggling to make her way to the opposite shore.

The water was deep and icy, and Sihna was plunged beneath its surface repeatedly as she fought for control. The current was heavy and strong at her back, bullying her as it washed her downriver. Sihna's motions became less panicked as reason took hold of her once more and she began to think, struggling first to turn herself in a consistent direction. Anger and memory fuelled her as she fought the water, careful not to breathe in when she was thrown beneath the surface. This was not the first time she'd been thrust unwilling into the water, though before it had been her _buir's_ hands that had deposited her in the river rather than her own lack of attention. But the end result was the same.

Her progress was slow and often counteracted by the force of the current, but Sihna slowly inched herself towards the opposing shore. Her feet finally touched earth and Sihna nearly sobbed in relief, dragging herself onto the shore and flopping down on the ground once she was clear of the rushing river. Her limbs shook with exhaustion, but Sihna dragged herself back to her feet slowly. Massive walls of rock arched above her head and Sihna craned her neck to try to see the tops in the shadows of the night. But they were out of her view, and so Sihna began to walk slowly downriver, her eyes scanning the rock walls that towered above her.

As she stumbled forward, head hung low, Sihna stopped occasionally, picking up small branches and dry sticks that she hugged to her chest as she walked. She could feel exhaustion settling over her, thick and heavy, and knew that when she found shelter she would have need of a fire. Better to arrive prepared than have to backtrack later. And so she continued her shuffling steps forward, stopping every once in a while to scan the rock walls on her right, hoping for any divot in their walls to offer some semblance of protection.

Three times she thought she had found shelter, only to discover an inlet too narrow or wet, or the nest of an animal that looked far too recently used for comfort. And so each time Sihna continued on, searching for a place to rest and recover. Her injuries needed tending, and they would not wait much longer. So she continued onwards, eyes sharp for any sign of shelter. She knew her luck had to come through eventually. The walls here were sheer and sharp, but Sihna knew they could not remain that way. Not forever.

She nearly missed it, so focused was she on keeping one foot moving in front of the other. But the stone walls dipped in, offering a sheltered cove that opened up into the woods beyond. Sihna stopped at stared dumbly at the space for a moment, hardly believing the view. There was no rush of adrenaline this time, no new reserve of energy that she could tap into. Instead she merely stumbled forward, dropping the armful of wood she'd gathered into a pile.

Sihna dropped to her knees in the dirt, the motion exhausted and utterly lacking in grace. Bloodied hands scrabbled at the dirt, clearing a small divot in the ground that Sihna then placed the kindling she had so carefully gathered into. She stacked larger sticks around the starter, hands shaking as she struggled to construct something that would allow a flame to thrive.

Sihna fished around in the pockets of her belt, fingers scrabbling as she prayed the river hadn't washed them away. When she finally pulled the firestarter from her pouch she let out a breath of relief, grateful that at least one sliver of luck hadn't abandoned her. And so with shaking hands Sihna struck the two pieces together until they produced a spark. Minutes later she had a fire going, lighting the night around her with a glow that was more comfort than any she'd felt since running from her _buir_. And yet despite the warmth of the blaze, she knew her next task would banish any sense of comfort she had found.

* * *

Sihna's hands shook violently as she pulled the small blade from her boot, a weapon that had been a gift years before but had done her little good today. The hilt and the blade were both sticky from her own blood, a fresh layer from her injured hand leaving the hilt slick and hard to grasp. Sihna extended her arm slowly, struggling to hold the edge in the licking flames of her fire. The blood coating the blade hissed and spat in the heat and Sihna bit down hard on her lip, turning her face away as the flames licked at her fingers. The blade was too short to allow her any distance from the fire, and so she simply tried to ignore her burning fingertips, tears stinging stubbornly at the corners of her eyes.

Soon the blade glowed a warm red and Sihna snatched her hand back, setting the knife down as she turned her attention to the gashes that marred her legs and sides. She could feel the wounds in her back, smarting and stinging, but Sihna had no way to reach them. Instead she rolled up the edge of her shirt gingerly, whimpering as the torn edges caught around the gaping wounds. Nausea swept over her and Sihna closed her eyes, struggling to breathe as she continued pulling at the cloth. To stop now would mean she couldn't continue in the future, and Sihna was out of options. Instead Sihna tied two of the torn ends of her shirt together tightly, hands shaking violently as she knotted the bloodied cloth, allowing her access to the wounds.

The blade had faded from its angry red tone as Sihna picked it up once more, her fist tight around the handle in hopes of keeping it steady. Sihna stuffed one corner of the cloth from her shirt in between her teeth, its purpose twofold. The first was to further allow her a clear line of sight to the injuries, as well as give her something to bite down on when she began closing the wounds.

Sihna brought the blade closer to her skin, hands shaking as she felt the heat from the blade radiating onto her skin. Tears stung her eyes but Sihna blinked them away impatiently, steeling herself. Her small hand still shook, but Sihna pressed the hot blade to the first of the wounds anyway.

Pain unlike any she'd ever known ripped through her and Sihna screamed, the blade dropping from her grip as she doubled over. Both hands covered the wound instinctively, her cries muffled by the cloth still gripped in her teeth.

Sihna's hands came away slick with blood when she pulled them away shakily, hoping to assess the success of her venture.

The skin around the puncture wound was an angry red, but the wound still seeped blood, undeterred by her attempt to close it.

Sihna stared down in disbelief before tears filled her eyes. Her chest shuddered with sobs as she cried, shaking hands reaching for the still-hot blade. As much as she wanted to give up, to curl in on herself and pretend none of it had happened. But she was light-headed and nauseated, both bad signs. The bleeding wouldn't stop on its own, and she had no other options to halt it.

This time she held the knife's blade to the wound until her skin hissed and she couldn't stand it any longer, her screams once more muffled by the cloth gripped in her mouth. When she couldn't take it any longer, Sihna cast the blade aside, curling up on her side with fingers cupped over the still hot injury. Tears slipped down her face, leaving tracks through grime and blood as pain consumed her.

She didn't know how long she stayed that way, curled up as if she could hide from the world, but the hot trickle of blood from her other injuries finally pulled her back to a place of focus.

Sihna reached for the blade, eyes resigned and sobs muted as her fingers scrabbled for purchase on the slick hilt. She finally managed to catch it, pulling the knife to her and gripping it tightly as she dipped it into the creek. Her fingers rubbed against the hilt roughly, fighting to clear some of the blood from the grip to give her a solid hold.

When the hilt was clean, Sihna attempted to do the same to the blade. But while the blood had been washed from the hilt with relative ease, it left the blade of the knife stained black. No amount of scrubbing could remove the scar in the metal and so Sihna finally relented. She pulled the blade from the water, setting it back into the heart of the flames. This time she dragged a large stone closer, setting it next to the fire and using it as a makeshift stand for the knife to rest upon while the blade heated.

While she waited, Sihna did her best to clean each of the wounds, squeezing her eyes shut in pain as she did so. She had nothing to clean them thoroughly, and so simply used the water from the creek, going so far as to wade into the deeper parts of the water.

The cold was a shock and Sihna drew in her breath sharply, struggling to stay standing as the water rushed over her injuries. At first the pain was immense, but soon the icy water turned soothing, washing away the sting from the hot blade of the knife. The icy water soon turned numbing and Sihna closed her eyes, relishing the feeling as the wounds on her back stopped their agonizing stinging for the first time since her flight into the woods. She allowed the water to wash over the wounds, cleaning them and washing away the dried blood and crusted dirt as best she could. She knew the danger of staying too long in the water, the fact made clearer by the lightheadedness that assaulted her.

Sihna finally waded back to shore, shivering as the air struck her once more. She trudged back to her fire, sitting down gingerly and reaching for the hot knife once more. Her hands shook from more than just the cold as she gripped the hilt of the knife once more, rolling up the hem of her pantleg and lowering the blade to one of the many gashes in her calf. She screamed again, though this time she managed to hold the blade to the injury long enough to seal it. Too long, in fact, if the angry blistering on the skin around the wound was anything to go by. The gash was harder to seal than the wounds from before, requiring SIhna to tackle it in small sections rather than being able to seal the entire thing in one motion.

Once it was done, Sihna returned the knife to the flames once more, struggling to draw even breaths as pain washed over her. And yet she continued, falling into a pattern as she forced her mind to stand at a distance. More than once she fumbled, burning skin and throwing her into a retching fit as her body rebelled against the pain and the smell of burning flesh. But each time she returned to the task, the tiny knife gripped in her fist as she worked through wound by wound. Some were closed cleanly, others blistered when she held the blade too long against her skin. Still others were not closed properly, the skin peeling apart and seeping blood, requiring her to cauterize the injuries a second or even third time. It took time, but she eventually was able to recognize when she ought to pull the blade away from the skin, leaving a cleaner burn than her earlier attempts.

Her voice grew hoarse from screaming, until she could only grip the hilt of the knife with shaking hands, her words lost as her voice gave out on her at long last. Eventually her hand cramped around the hilt, fingers so tight that she had to pry her grip loose with her other hand. And yet still she continued.

Finally she ran out of wounds to close, her whole body shaking in shock and pain as she dipped the knife into the water. Cramped fingers eased the last of the blood from the hilt and the blade, washing it downriver. Sihna's face was streaked with dirt and tears as she finally pulled the blade out of the water, drying it carefully before setting it aside.

She desperately wanted to ignore the ones on her back, aware as she was of the only solution available to her. She'd been turning the problem over and over in her mind, trying to find a solution other than the one she had devised. Trying to find a reason to simply ignore them and hope for the best. But to do so could be a costly mistake, and so Sihna turned to her next task, dread settling in the pit of her stomach as she worked.

It didn't take nearly as long as she had hoped to construct, though she supposed that should be a positive. But when she at least stopped shoveling the embers of the fire into the dip in the ground she'd dug out, there was nothing left to do. And so Sihna added more sticks to the still burning fire a few feet away, aware that she would need the flames for later on. She turned back to her construct slowly, blinking back the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes in anticipation of the next step. But tears would do her no good, and so Sihna swiped impatiently at her cheeks before sitting down gingerly next to the hot coals. She tied her hair back carefully, the knotted mess packed with dirt and blood, but somehow the motion gave her some sense of control.

Sihna stretched out carefully, face in the dirt as she struggling to keep her breathing calm and even, fighting against the panic that was already settling over her. And so she didn't wait.

Sihna squeezed her eyes shut and rolled herself sideways, down the small incline she had built and straight onto the hot ashes of her fire. Pain spiked through her and Sihna screamed, fighting every instinct to throw herself off of the heated coals as the heat seared across her back. It took every ounce of will she had to remain where she was, forcing her back to remain pressed against the hot coals even as she fought the urge to arch her spine away from the heat.

Only when blackness swam at the edges of her vision did Sihna finally roll off of the coals. She stayed still as minutes dragged by, her eyes fixed on the gentle red glow that came from the embers of her construct. She could feel the smarting of her back, a raging wildfire that informed her of just how badly she had burned the skin around the wounds. Sihna reached shaking fingers forward into the ashes, gripping the coolest that rested at the edge of the bed she had made for herself. She then began to coat the areas she could reach with the gray dust, what wounds hadn't closed mixing with the ash and creating a sort of mud that remained packed into the wounds.

Twice she moved too suddenly, dislodging the ash from her wounds and opening them back up. Each time Sihna packed them with ash once more. When she was finished, Sihna crawled back to the base of her still crackling fire.

Only then did she curl up next to the crackling flames of her tiny campfire. Only then did she allow the tears to flow freely as her shoulders shook in silent sobs.

* * *

A/N: One more chapter incoming, and then that will wrap up this piece of Sihna's story (though I believe there will be more incoming :) )  
As always, reviews are appreciated! :)


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